"There is no denying that this third wave of reinforcements, the [Seven Horsemen of God], is indeed powerful. They are the blades used by the supreme god of Persia and the Jews to clear away the remaining enemies, bring about [Ragnarok], and launch [Final Judgment] upon humanity…"
Samael turned his head slightly, his solemn gaze sweeping across the three rows of Persian reinforcements. His voice was low, steady, and oppressive.
Everyone unconsciously set aside the ease of the feast, sat upright, and listened seriously.
"However, while the sword may be sharp, the one who holds it must be watched even more closely!"
The Ancient Serpent's eyes flickered. His tone abruptly shifted, and with a slight raise of his left hand, two human figures appeared on the screen of light.
Cyrus the Great of Persia! Mithra, God of Light!
Everyone slowly read the words beneath the images. With this reminder, realization struck them, and their pupils narrowed slightly.
Since the battle began, Cyrus, who determined the movements of the Persian army, and Mithra, who represented the intent of the Persian gods, seemed to have remained hidden behind the scenes without formally showing themselves.
"On the Day the Gods of Rome Fell and during the decisive battle on the Land of Nothingness, I fought Cyrus twice. Based on my guess, what he inherited should be the authority of Verethragna, the Persian God of War. On top of that, this man also holds the [Book of Destiny], which is said to be able to control Divine Spirits. Actually dealing with him will be troublesome.
"The [Seven Horsemen of God] did not appear earlier or later, but chose this exact moment to show themselves. Most likely, that was Cyrus' doing. And according to the Assassin Order's report, he should be inside the Persian army…"
Recalling his several encounters with Cyrus, Samael analyzed the matter aloud and warned everyone. Then he turned to the figure with six wings on its back, his brows gathering as he spoke in a solemn voice.
"The second is Mithra, God of Light. I have never had direct contact with him, but his shadow was present during the rebellion on the Areopagus that night. If my guess is correct, this fellow should possess a calamity Sacred Gear called the [Horn of Doom]…
"The plague source once buried deep beneath Athens, the recent locust demon army Abaddon, the deep-sea serpent Leviathan, the Behemoth war beast, the calamitous giant eagle Scylla, and the mutation of the fire spirit Ifrit are all basically related to him.
"Unfortunately, this fellow hides very deeply. Even the trap we set last time failed to lure him out. I suspect that until we deal with the hounds in the three rows above, we won't be able to force him to show himself."
Everyone thought back to the several crises that had occurred at Thermopylae. They seemed to line up perfectly with the appearances of Cyrus and Mithra. Only then did they realize that these two sword-bearers were the real key to the problem.
"Also, there is the worst possibility…"
Before everyone could even catch their breath, Samael bent his finger again and drew out a fifth row of figures.
This time, however, there was only one target. Its entire body was shrouded in darkness beneath flowing Ether light, making it impossible to see the true answer.
"Verethragna, the Persian God of War, is a servant god of Mithra, God of Light. And in legend, Mithra, God of Light, is an incarnation of Ahura, the Lord of Wisdom. What we have to face may not be limited to two sword-bearers. Based on all signs, that 'God' may very well… have already descended!"
Samael's voice was low and steady, his gaze cold and still. Through the careful integration of every thread of information, the iceberg hidden beneath the sea was finally dragged above the surface.
As the allied commander revealed their true enemy, everyone from the various factions turned grim. The slight arrogance that had grown from the thought that "the advantage is ours" was immediately washed away by awakened dark memories and an intense pressure.
"Everyone, whether it is the [Final Judgment] meant to punish humanity or [Ragnarok] aimed at the gods, prepare yourselves for the war that will decide the future!
"Now, there are still three days before the so-called 'Apocalypse' and 'Eternal Kingdom' they speak of descend. Before that time comes, we must annihilate the Persians completely and drag out the one hiding behind the curtain!"
Samael slammed his fist onto the table. Amid a thunderous rumble, he rose abruptly, a fierce and murderous look appearing on his face.
"We are their apocalypse!"
Clatter!
Inside the temple, the blood of everyone attending the meeting boiled. They stood from their seats one after another, struck their right fists against their chests in unison, and raised a song that shook the clouds to their god, their king.
"Where your blade points, there our will shall follow!"
Then the meeting ended. The heroes of each faction walked out of the hall one after another, returned to their posts, and began actively preparing for the coming confrontation.
After the preliminary meeting concluded, the Ancient Serpent exchanged glances with several figures and nodded.
From the Roman side were the Rose Emperor Nero and her secretary Tamamo-no-Mae. From the Norse side were Skadi, the Goddess of Winter, and Scáthach, Queen of the Land of Shadows. Representing the Greek reinforcements were Medusa, the Goddess of Vengeance, and Medea, the Queen of Witchcraft. From Thermopylae's old forces were Leonidas, King of Sparta, Kukulkan, the Feathered Serpent God, and Jaguar Warrior. The eight of them gathered here in tacit understanding to begin a higher-level confidential discussion.
Once the barrier was activated, Samael activated the three-dimensional sand table made by Medea and displayed the intelligence of the Roman legions crossing the Land of Nothingness to launch a surprise attack on the Persian capital in the form of a dynamic projection.
"Tonight, the Roman legions will cross the mountains and silently arrive at the Persian capital. If everything goes smoothly, by tomorrow at the latest, the Persian Pantheon will become history! Once the surprise attack succeeds, the strength of the Persian gods will be weakened to its lowest point, and that will be the best moment for us to launch our offensive!"
"So you were waiting for this final move…"
Quetzalcoatl circled the miniature world map on the sand table, studied it closely for a moment, and murmured with bright eyes, her expression filled with approval.
"But what if you guessed wrong, meow? If that glowing guy is still in Persia, wouldn't the people going deep in there be in danger?"
Jaguar Warrior, who had accidentally made a contribution earlier, saw that the fist of justice had yet to fall on her jaguar hide and began acting up again, asking curiously.
The "glowing guy" she mentioned was naturally Marduk, who had once fought them in Mesopotamia.
For Jaguar, who usually forgot pain as soon as she had food, that fellow had left a very deep impression.
"I truly can't be certain whether Marduk is still hiding in the Persian Pantheon. But nothing ever has a ten out of ten chance of success. If there is a seventy percent chance, it is worth the gamble. With the horned god Cernunnos there, even in the worst case, the Roman legions won't be completely wiped out. This risk is worth taking. On the contrary, if the chance of success really were ten out of ten, I would suspect it was a trap and be even more careful."
Samael spoke calmly and evenly. Everyone seemed to understand, and they nodded one after another.
Quetzalcoatl, Ana, and Leonidas in particular, who had all dealt directly with that God, agreed more than anyone.
"It's a pity that those three Indian deities joined the Persian camp. That truly caught me off guard. Rama and Karna both have rather stubborn personalities, and trying to sway them within just two short days is basically impossible. So we have to assign people to deal with them. Otherwise, the cards in our hand would be much more comfortable."
As he spoke, Samael picked up three golden chess pieces from Tanbei Canyon on the sand table, frowned, and shook his head, feeling rather helpless.
"When the three of them entered the battlefield, I thought I would be buried here together with my friends at Thermopylae. Fortunately, you arrived in time."
Leonidas thought back to the danger they had faced and sighed deeply.
"We were also very lucky to cross the Sea of Chaos from Maya and reach Greece successfully. Because Jaguar got the navigation wrong, we had already lost our way. If we hadn't sensed some kind of guidance in the dark, who knows how long we would have drifted on the sea."
Quetzalcoatl glanced at Jaguar Warrior beside her, equally emotional.
"Wait. The reason you were able to reach Greece was because you sensed some kind of summons from this land?"
Tamamo-no-Mae's expression sharpened, and a strange look crossed her face.
Could it be…
Everyone turned to look at this visitor from a foreign land in unison, suddenly realizing something.
"Me too!"
Before Tamamo-no-Mae could speak, Scáthach recalled the strange stirring she had sensed from the Areopagus that day and raised her hand solemnly.